Chappell Roan, singer of the hit song “Good Luck, Babe” and the VMA’s Best New Artist, has seen a meteoric rise to fame over the past year. That rapid rise to fame placed Roan under a constant microscope of criticism. The intense scrutiny that Roan experiences has led her to make some decisions that left fans (and us) questioning if the internet is shining too bright a spotlight on Roan.
Recently, Roan has received an onslaught of hate for refusing to endorse Democratic presidential candidate, current Vice President Kamala Harris. Following high-profile endorsements of Harris from artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, many fans were expecting (or demanding) something similar from Roan.
In a series of videos posted to TikTok, Roan discussed the problems within a two-party system, and explained why she will not endorse Harris for president.
“I think it is important to question authority and question world leaders,” said Roan. “The world is changing so rapidly, and I want to be a part of a generation that changes things for good because we need it. Actions speak louder than words, and actions speak louder than an endorsement.”
Roan later clarified that although she will be voting for Harris, she won’t endorse her because she disagrees with Harris’ stance concerning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Roan also feels the Democratic Party could be more proactive regarding transgender rights. We agree that these are valid reasons to not publicly state your support for the current Democratic Party candidate, even if that is how she plans to vote.
Although Roan’s statements about voting education echoes the stance of Swift, who was praised for her endorsement of Harris, Roan’s refusal to endorse a candidate that she doesn’t fully support was met with a swarm of criticism.
The backlash led Roan to cancel her performances at the All Things Go music festivals in New York and Washington, D.C. The news upset many fans who had purchased tickets, causing even more hate directed at the singer.
We can see there is a disconnect between fans’ expectations of Roan’s fame versus her own. It’s obvious she is pushing back against the normalized social norms of “fan culture” and the boundaries that we feel should, but do not currently, exist between celebrities and their fans.
The definition of parasocial relationships, according to Find a Psychologist, is a “sided relationship, where one person extends emotional energy, interest and time, and the other party, the persona, is completely unaware of the other’s existence.” In the age of social media, this type of “connection” between fans and famous figures is more common than ever, given your favorite celebrity (or influencer) is never more than a few clicks away.
A Forbes article explores more reasons why individuals might seek out these types of attachments such as escapism, or even the reassurance that there will never be a true, traditional face to face rejection. In Roan’s case, many have related to the experiences she shares through music about being a young queer person, and the representation has been received with open arms.
It’s true that Roan is a stranger to the majority of her fans. We do not know her personally, and feel it is more than valid for her to be uncomfortable with the way she is being idolized. While we do believe having a large platform gives you some responsibility to speak out about important issues, we also agree that as fans, we do not have the right to tell Roan how and when she should do so. Not to mention, Roan was bringing up important issues such as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and LGBTQ+ rights and policies. She explicitly stated who she plans to vote for, but faced backlash regardless, as she did not specifically endorse a presidential candidate.
This is not the first time an upset Roan has addressed her fans. About a month ago, Roan took to TikTok after incidents of her and her family members being stalked and harassed by fans. She describes the fan culture that she is currently experiencing as “weird” and “not okay.” Roan doesn’t agree with the belief that as a musical artist and celebrity, you have to become okay with the lack of boundaries that comes along with having a fan base, and neither do we.
There have been various examples of stars who, as a result of the pressures from their fans or the industry itself, have experienced issues such as drug abuse or struggles with mental health. This has resulted in some of the most adored stars such as Britney Spears, Madonna or Amy Winehouse permanently leaving the industry, or even passing away in the midst of their careers. This is a ruthless pattern, and we think that it is completely valid for Roan to push back against some behaviors from her fans and the general public that are causing stress to her mental health.
Unfortunately, Roan’s place as a young star puts her in a difficult position with those who take attachment to celebrities a little too seriously. From being stalked in airports and big cities, being kissed by fans during outings with her friends and obsessive fans leaking personal information like flight numbers and her father’s phone number, Roan is another example of how dangerous fan-celebrity parasocial relationships can truly be.
We feel strongly that the way that fans interact with celebrities, especially female artists in particular, needs to change if we want to avoid a repeat of history. We’ve already seen the rapid rise of the self-proclaimed “Midwest Princess,” but we worry we could end up seeing Roan’s catastrophic fall if fans don’t get their act together.
